The Grandview House’s footprint had to remain the same due to strict zoning laws which also meant they couldn’t add a deck.

With those limits in place, the top floor living room and kitchen area were designed to become an outdoor-like space with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that slide to either side making the room feel completely open. With the glass railing, the opening feels like you’re on an outdoor deck.

Downstairs was also reconfigured to now include a new master suite.

A wall of sliding glass doors opens the house to a view of the city.

Ryan Leidner is a San Francisco based Architect and artist. He received his Masters in Architecture from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. While there he was a founding member and Design Director of the non-profit organization MASS Design Group, with whom he designed the Butaro Hospital and the Giribuntu School in Rwanda as well as other heath care facilities in Burundi. You can more about Ryan Leidner here.